(1) Field
The present invention relates generally to camping equipment, and more particularly, to a sheltering system including a flexible cover held taut by two water vessels spaced one from the other in parallel.
(2) Related Art
Camping and canoeing are very popular pastimes that allow people to enjoy the outdoors. Many enthusiasts combine the two, by canoeing to their campsite in order to access camping areas unreachable by vehicles. In this manner, one can load their canoe with camping equipment, food, water and so forth, canoe to the desired area, pull their canoe out of the water, and set up camp at that location.
The camping equipment for such excursions must be carefully selected. On one hand, one must avoid overloading their canoe with heavy and bulky items, yet must still bring equipment that provides comfort, warmth and dryness, lest the camping experience may be an unpleasant or dangerous one.
Conventional tents tend to fall into one of two categories: camping tents and backpacking tents. The former typically includes poles to form a frame, and provides the camper with a comfortable and relatively spacious shelter, yet at the expense of being both heavy and bulky when packed. Backpacking tents, on the other hand, are very light and compact, but not very comfortable or spacious. Thus, one on a canoeing/camping excursion must choose between being comfortable yet overloading their canoe, or being uncomfortable but packing reasonably.
Thus, what is needed is an outdoor shelter system that combines the comfort of a camping tent, and the packability of a backpacking tent. It is desirable that this shelter system is easy to set up and take down, and does not require special equipment. It is also desirable that this shelter system provides protection against wetness and insects, and maintains a low profile so as to be stable in windy conditions.